Beginner snail questions

[Janmitch22]

What exactly do you do to get enough snails in the tank so that there isn't an excess or depletion of snails? Is that even possible? How many should I start off buying? What is a good kind to buy? I have five clown loaches; they range in size from one inch to about two inches. I just want to give them something different. I thought the snails might be a treat and a quirk factor for the tank.

 

[hardcyder]

If you have another small tank around, start a snail only tank. I have a snail and shrimp tank, but feel the glass shrimp eat a lot of the young snails and eggs. That way you can raise a lot more to keep the loaches happy. Afraid with loaches you wont be able to build up much of a colony of snails in the main tank . I have one yoyo loach in my comunity tank that I got to reduce a snail infestation. He almost wiped them all out.

 

[Devilishturtles]

I agree. Start a small snail only tank. You can even get babies from the LFS or pest snails from local aquarists. My clown loaches keep my snail population very much at bay.

 

[Janmitch22]

Thanks! I'll try to get that project going, then. A couple of more questions....
Just how many snails would a loach eat in a day or so?
Do the snails need a full-on tank with filter and heater?

Devilish, cute picture!

 

[lyquidphyre]

Hey Janmitch- my background settings for AA is a dark blue (and it might be for some other members as well), so when you use dark colors, its hard for me to read =o)

For a snail tank you probably just need an aerator to keep the water circulating and make sure the water stays kind of warm- but not bitter cold- you might be able to accomplish this with out a heater.

 

[crazycat]

i think the loaches eat them pretty quickly. the other day i noticed that there were a WHOLE bunch of tiny apple snail babies in my tank. within a few days they were all gone. i have 4 clown loahces (all over 3") and 3 yoyo loaches. alas--no more baby snails. but i have a snail only tank that is pumping out red ramshorns like crazy...

 

[jrp1588]

oww my eyes! your font color is killing me. Well, when i first got loaches...I had a huge snail population...several weeks later...no snails. I was snail free for almost a year. haha...now they are slowly returning